Vocabulary

Alert: To warn; call to readiness

If you had not alerted him in time, he would have been killed by his enemies.
Allocate: To allot; distribute; apportion
The government has decided to allocate Rs. 10 million for health education.

Allude: To intimate; hint; refer to indirectly
She was far too polite to allude to the stain on his jacket.

Allusion: Indirect reference or casual mention of something
In his speech, he made an allusion to the conspiracy against him.

Alluvial: Composed of sediment such as sand and clay deposited by flowing water
Some alluvial deposits are source of minerals.

Alternative: Choice; opportunity to choose between two incompatible things
I’m afraid I have no alternative but to ask you to leave.

Altruistic: Unselfish, having regard for the interests of others
The UN is supposed to have an altruistic concern for the newly independent states.

Altruistic: Unselfish; generous; large hearted
I doubt whether her motives for donating the money are altruistic; she’s probably looking for publicity.

Amalgam: Mixture; blend of different elements
Her work is a strange amalgam of different literary styles.

Ambiance: Environment; atmosphere of a place
Despite being a busy city, Dublin has the ambience of a country town.

Ameliorate: To improve, or at least make tolerable, unfortunate situations, suggesting partial relief
Foreign aid is badly needed to ameliorate the effect of drought.

Amend: To correct; to improve
Our constitution has been amended so many times that now it looks different from its original papers.

Amend: To alter or modify; improve; correct
Until the constitution is ame-nded, the power to appoint ministers will remain with the President.

Amenities: Qualities that make life more comfortable
The council has some spare cash which it proposes to spend on public amenities.

Amiable: Friendly; pleasant; affable
So amiable was the mood of the meeting that a decision was soon reached.

Amnesty: Pardon by a government for past offences
The government refused to declare an amnesty for people who had not paid the disputed tax.

Ample: Abundant; plentiful; more than enough
You’ll have ample opportunity to ask questions after the talk.

Amplitude: Magnitude; size; extent
One wonders at the amplitude of Iqbal’s literary achievements.

Anachronism: Placing a person, thing or event in the wrong

Alert: To warn; call to readiness
time, or anything so placed
The modern train was an obvious and distracting anachronism in the film about London in 1950s.

Analogous: Similar; resembling in certain respects; comparable
The present crisis is analogous with the situation immediately before war.

Anarchic: Lawless; relating to a state of political disorder due to the absence of government authority
The country is in an anarchic state.

Anarchy: Lawlessness; absence of government, causing political and social disorder
Complete anarchy prevailed in the city when two processions attacked each other.

Anathema: Whatever is detested, loathed, hated; originally an ecclesiastical curse condemning evil-doers
For older employees, the new system is an anathema.

Animated: Lively; full of life and action; vigorous
The lecture turned into an animated discussion.

Annihilate: To destroy completely; ruin the substance, force or effect of
By annihilating the smallpox virus, doctors have saved many lives.

Anomaly: Abnormality; irregularity; something out of keeping with established notions of fitness or order
Is it not something of an anomaly to have a President of one political party and the Prime Minister of another?

Antidote: Remedy to counteract a poison or any unwanted condition
Regular exercise is the best antidote to tiredness and depression.

Antidote: Remedy to counteract a poison or any other harmful condition
Do you think there is any antidote to the nation’s economic problems ?

Apartheid: Official policy of segregation and discrimination against non-European groups in South Africa
I favour apartheid of smokers.

Apathetic: Without feeling or emotion; lacking concern; indifferent
Don’t be so apathetic. How are you going to get a job if you can’t even write a letter?

Aplomb: Self-confidence; assurance; poise
He conducted the meeting with all the aplomb of an experienced speaker.

Apolitical: Non-political; having no interest
Ours is an apolitical organisation.

Apparent: Obvious; plain to see; easily perceived
It is apparent from the current economic situation that the country is going to be declared a defaulter.

Apparition: Ghost; the spirit of a dead person
He claimed to have seen strange apparitions at night.

Appertain: To relate or belong to by right, nature, custom or function
She enjoyed the privileges appertaining to the office of chairman.

Apposite: Appropriate for the purpose; pertinent
I found his speech wholly apposite to the current situation.

Appraise: To evaluate; set a value on; estimate; judge the merit or quality of
At the end of each teaching practice, trainee teachers are asked to appraise their own performance.

Apprise: To inform; give notice to; acquaint; advise; tell
The President has been apprised of the situation.

Aptitude: Talent; natural ability; bent
My friend has little aptitude for sport.

Arbiter: Judge; person with authority to settle disputes
The court was an arbiter between the province and the federal government.

Arbitrary: Based on one’s own notions; not guided by law or rules
His arbitrary decisions ruined the business.

Arcade: A covered passageway. Also, an arched, roofed-in area or a line of arches
I saw him at a shopping arcade.

Arch: Principal; chief; main
His is my arch rival.

Archaic: Of or belonging to the distant part; from an ancient period in history
The meanings of some archaic forms of writings is not always understood today.

Ardour: Fervour; emotion of great intensity and warmth
His ardour for the cause inspired his followers.

Arduous: Difficult; demanding great effort; strenuous
The work is arduous and the time is short.

Arrogant: Haughty; overbearing; offensively demanding
She is very arrogant in the way she behaves.